


Bounded by the blood

by Drkaihusky



Series: Kai's AU's no one asked for [8]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Elf Ears, F/F, I sortof made Max androgynous..., Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-19 18:23:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15515844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drkaihusky/pseuds/Drkaihusky
Summary: Max was just an elf armed to the teeth, found unconscious in the garden of Marsh Castle. She would not remember where the hell she had come from, but nobody really cared. Lady Kate was to leave for a diplomatic mission and the court had decided a "lowly elf" such as herself should just go ahead and serve as a member of her guard.





	1. Elf without a last name

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea wtf Im even doing...

The taste in her mouth was strange. Why did it taste like literal earth? And her hair was soaked for some reason.

'Are they all right?' An annoyed voice asked.

'I don't know, they didn't drown in the pond yet, thank the Gods...' A very feminine voice replied.

'Elves sure are quite something...' Annoyed voice grumbled.

A hand moved and she pulled herself up, barely. Her eyes opened and took in the scenery.

'A garden?' She rasped.

'Oh! Hello!'

The feminine voice belonged to a warrior with long brown hair. Put into a decent ponytail. She had kind eyes.

'Who are you, elf?'

The annoyed one was another woman. Some sort of librarian? Could be.

'Max... My name is Max....'

'Just Max?" Annoyed librarian asked.

Kind feminine warrior jabbed her with an elbow.

'Greetings, Max the elf, what bringst thy to this garden?'

'I... I don't know... I...'

Everything went black again.

 

Max opened her eyes. A distinguished smell of flowers filled her nose. Her eyes caught the eyes of- Annoyed librarian?

'Good grief, welcome back to the land of the living...'

'What happened? Where... Am I?"

'I'd like to know that as well. This is Marsh Castle, house of the Royal Family of this country.'

'W... Wowsers...'

The young woman introduced herself as Doctor Watson. Max still couldn't remember much beside her first name. The rest was a blur. The doc took her to the, holy fuck, to the courtroom. Lord Marsh was a stern man who didn't like being disrespected. His wife was infamous for disliking elves. They had three daughters, Max recalled. And none of the three were present in the courtroom. Just Lord Marsh and his wife, Lady Marsh. Max saw one of the servants hold out a sheathed blade. She squinted. An elven blade... Max's elven blade... Oh goodness... This was bad. The doc bowed for the royals. Max just kneeled. The courtroom gasped.

'Greeting, Lord Marsh. My apologies. I didn't want to disrupt your court with my precense.'

Lord Marsh narrowed his eyes.

'What brings an elf such as yourself to my castle? You are far from home.'

'That, I do not know... I only remember waking up here. I can't remember anything else, I'm afraid.'

'Strange...' He spoke, after a long pause.

'Your tale is very unfortunte, elf, but it would be best that you'd leave this castle at once.'

Lord marsh looked at his wife with a frown.

'No, that won't be necessary, my dear wife. I don't mind the elf here. They are in fact, right on time.'

His wife raised an eyebrow at him. She was not amused.

'What would you mean by that, dear husband?' She gritted through her teeth.

'Well, our daughter has come of age and must attend the ceremony at the Black Well, deeper into Arcadia. The human **and**  elven youth nobles will be present, one might recognise the banner our guest bears.'

 

And that is how Max ended up escorting Lady Kate Bethany Marsh to the Black Well. Thankfully, or unfortunately, Doctor Watson and the knight, Dana Ward were part of the parade. They had returned the elven blade to her for this quest. Why, Max couldn't remember, but it felt like the blade was important to her. 

**To be continued...**


	2. Doctor Watson really likes muscles against her skin

Lady Kate was a sweetheart. She made dinner every night when they set up the camp. She made godly tea... And she totally played matchmaker between Doc Watson and the knight. Max understood nothing. How was it possible she was that kind with horrid parents like Lord Marsh and his dear wife? She seemed like... A miracle.

'Elf. Would you be so kind to scavenge the area up ahead? According to the map we must be close, but...' The Doc began.

Max sighed. Kindness, a scarce gift nowadays... She scavenged her way through the remaining woods. And then she tripped over a rock. She fell flat on her face. Muscular memory seemed to tell her that this wasn't the first faceplant on the ground. Max groaned and looked at the dumb rock. She frowned. This rock seemed familiar... There was an inscription. In Elvish.

_Draw thy blood and yowst the line._

What this haybilly could mean, Max didn't know. But for some reason, she pulled her blade and rolled up her wrist.

'Elf? What are you-?' 

The others had caught up. But Max didn't listen to Doc Watson. She slit her arm. The blood dripped onto the stone.

'Max! Are you ok?' Lady Kate shouted while running towards the elf, clumsily holding up her long dress so it wouldn't scrape over the ground to do so. 

Max turned around. The blade was glowing and the wound was closing up already. The place where she cut healed up completely. A dark mark covered the arm instead. Lady Kate, Doc Watson and Knight Dana gathered around Max as the rock lit up. 

'Wait, you are one too?' Watson asked.

'One what?'

'Noble of blood. Of the old Arcadia bloodlines!'

Max tried to remember.

'I... I don't know...'

Doc Watson gave Lady Kate a look.

'What do you four idiots think you are doing?' A rather prissy and annoyed voice cut in between the atmosphere'

Max turned around. Another group must have reached the stone from the other side of the forest.

'We seek the Black Well.' Max stated, staring the interruptor up and down.

'On what ground?'

Max stared at her... Comrades... And then back to the rather beautiful angry interruptor she totally did not want to sleep with. She glanced downwards.

'This one I think...'

The blonde stranger visibly lost it. Her knight had to physically hold her back from punching Max right in the face.

'Victoria?' Lady Kate blurted out.

'Oh great... Is this your trash, Katie? Honey, why do you even bother coming down here... And why is the stone glowing!'

'The elf-' Doc Watson got elbowed by the knight.

'Max did that, Lady Victoria.' Dana spoke.

Victoria looked at Max. Her eyes found the mark on Max's arm. Max found her eyes and couldn't help but to smile at her, this mysterious bossy woman.

'I'm Max. Nice to meet you.'

Before Lady Victoria could react, another group of travellers arrived.

'Max?'

'Chloe!' Max said by instinct, recognizing the voice somewhat.

Two other elves greated Max. The blue-haired one glomped her into a fine elvish hug. The touch felt familiar, but Max still didn't remember anything. Not a shit. 

'Remember Rachel?' Chloe asked, pointing at the other elf.

'Actually, I lost my memories a few dats ago, I have no clue what this is...'

Chloe looked at Kate and Victoria.

'You sure?' She asked Max, eyes resting on Victoria.

'Positive.'

'Good day, Lady Rachel.' Kate greated her.

Rachel smiled and jumped at Kate. She hugged the poor human girl... Elvishly. Chloe chuckled.

'That's my Rachel...' She sighed, sounding pretty smitten.

Max snorted.

'Don't you all have to give blood too?' Max heard Victoria's knight ask.

The other three of noble blood gave blood as well. They even told Max to make the cut. Max complied. She did both Kate and Rachel... And that left just the beautiful bitchy Victoria... Max blushed and for a moment, it seemed like Victoria blushed too...


	3. Max, stop flirting

Max somehow guided everyone further into the woods. The bloodstone was just the first stop on the way to the Black Well. According to the Doc, at least... When she wasn't pretending not to flirt with Dana, she was reading the map. Chloe and Lady Rachel walked at the back, holding hands. Lady Kate chatted with Victoria's knight, Taylor. That left Lady Victoria Maribeth Chase. Max liked her. Even if she seemed to have a rzther shitty character. There was something about her... Her pointy ears were bright red. 

Ok, Max, be smooth.

'So, eh, Lady Victoria, was it?' Max began.

Victoria raised an eyebrow.

'What.'

It wasn't a question, more an annoyed response.

'I was wondering, have we met before?'

'Of course not. If we had, I'd have known who you were at the bloodstone. Why?'

Max scratched the back of her head.

'I don't know, your name sounded familiar...' 

Victoria looked at Max.

'Are you remembering something?'

'No... It's not like that. More like I know I used to know, but I can't recall...'

Max sighed.

'For a moment there, I was worried I forgot something important. Your name felt important.'

Victoria smiled. It was a kind smile.

'Of course it did, I'm a blood noble.' She winked.

Max snorted.

 

The next stop was the gate of light. It was actually just a plain gate out of stone. But it held a clue on the well's location.

Max offered her arm jokingly to Victoria, who took it as they walked through the gate. The mark on Max's arm changed to writing in Elvish.

 

_The Well of Black lies in the westes of thyne shadow._

 

It would take a while for the Doc to decypher the clue. Or so she said. But they all knew she just wanted to sleep in for the night. With a certain hot knight. Max took first watch. After all, the moon was beautiful that night. Her blade reflected the pure light softly. Max had climbed on the near giant rock. She breathed in the nightly clouds. After a while, an old elven song came to mind. It was a song about two lovers. Both separated by a dispute of blood. 

'That's a nice song.'

Max almost fell off the rock. Chloe stood there, smoking her pipe.

'You remembering something else?'

'No... The song just came to me as well.' Max sighed. 

'We used to hear that song when we were kids. I think my mother sang it.'

'I wish I remembered...'

Chloe sighed and gave a sad smile.

'Me too..'

'Now that you two Elves established that, could you please shut up? Some of us are human and need actual sleep.' Victoria's voice snarled. 

'Oops...' Chloe muttered.

Max snorted.

'She's so charming.'

Chloe laughed.

'For someone who has been flirting with her constantly, you have lost the right to complain.'

Max smirked.

'I can't help it...'

'Shut up!'


	4. The ritual

The well was quite something. Max had been staring at it for almost an hour now. 

'Max, are you ok?' Chloe asked.

'Of course not!' Victoria butted in.

Chloe glared at her.

'Yeah honey, the well is-' Lady Rachel began.

'Dry. I know, but I was just worried about Max here.' Chloe cut her off.

Max hummed a bit, lost in tought, not really paying attention to the ruckus.

'Max?' Lady Kate asked.

'Ugh, that elf is a lost cause...' Doc Watson grumbled. 

'Juliet! Shut up!' Dana scolded.

And then Max narrowed her eyes and drew her blade.

'I didn't mean to offend you!' Doc sputtered.

'Shush.' Max just said.

Because she heard something. And it was bad. Her cells were telling her to act. Out of the bushes he came. A smug guy. Max could feel the others holding their breath.

'Nathan?' Victoria blurted out.

'Hey there, sexy. Your fiancé has arrived.' He said, completed with a wink at Lady V.

Barf.

'Nathan, I'm not bethrothed to you. Get that in your. Thick skull, please. You embarrass me.' Victoria spat.

Max glared at Nathan.

'V, I don't care who your parents arranged for you to marry.'

'Oh, well me neither. But it sure as hell won't be you!' Victoria nearly squawked.

Max looked at Watson.

'Can you do the ritual?'

'Well, yes, but-'

'Everyone is present. Let's begin.' Max grumbled.

 

'I gather the new generation of blood.' Doc began. 

Max drew her blade again. Doc stared at Max.

'Right. Of coursee... Eh... The Sword of Lord Caulfield?' Juliet  continued.

Max closed her eyes. The ancient forefathers were with her. She climbed upon the Black Well.

'May the oldest blood drop down the well.'

Max reopened the place where she had made a cut at the bloodstone. Blood dripped down.

'Followed by the Innocence of Marsh?'

Kate stuck out her arm above the well, for Max to cut. Max gave Kate a reassuring grin. 

'The Amber Wisdom.'

Max cut Rachel's arm too, not missing her holding tightly onto Chloe with her other hand.

'The Bravery of Prescott?'

Nathan let himself be cut with a smug wiggle of his brows towards Victoria, who only had eyes for Max.

'And the Chase of Beauty.'

Max held Lady Victoria's arm with a soft grip. The eyecontact was yummy.

'All offered to the Black Well.' Doc concluded.

As soon as Victoria's blood hit the bottom, the well wasn't dry no more. It filled up with water, and with it, all the wells of Arcadia. Water was life. Max was still holding Victoria's arm. And Victoria was still looking at Max.

'Hands off, elf.' Nathan grumbled as he pushed Max into the well.

'Max!'

'Dude, what the hell?' Chloe punched him.

Max was pissed. She crawled out of the well, back on syable grounds. She shook off the water in her hair, like a dog. And then she walked away. But not without sneaking a glance at Victoria. 

 

Victoria totally stared at Max's butt.

'Sweet T, I think I know who I want to marry...' She whispered.

'Well, Lady V, Elf Lord there is better than Nate, so go for it.'

Victoria went after Max. She found the elf smoking. It was a rare sight. She hadn't seen Max smoke a single time during the travel. It was one of those nice elven made pipes. She even sat on a giant boulder.

'Hey Elf Lord!' She called out.

'What.'

Ouch, that stung... Well, karma? Vic looked up at the rather short Elf.

'Do you want to travel to Chase Space with me?'

'Why would I do that?'

'I was just hoping you would...'

They locked eyes again. Max seemed captivated.

'Yes.'


End file.
